When I was at the Professional Organizers Conference this year I was given a product called Gryptonite Super Gripper. It sounds like something from a Superman movie.

I brought home my nifty gadget and put it in my pantry. I was trying to open a jar and since I got tile on my floor I can no longer hit the lid of a jar on my floor to open it. Then I remembered my super gripper. I have tried jar openers before and they don’t always work. I used my gryptonite (I like saying that word) and said out loud “I am a believer”. Then I laughed and realized this was true. The lid loosened so easy without any effort at all on my part.

This nifty gadget comes with an owner’s manual. There are over 18 and counting other uses. There is even a troubleshooting guide for problems around the home and solutions to solving them. How fun is that?

Do you have a super doper tool you can’t live without and how do you use it?

I have always had cats and trying to bathe them was not worth the battle. We did have one cat who did like being in the tub and would stand and purr when she was dripping wet. Washing a dog is another story, here is a product I found that makes it easier for seniors and those who don’t like bending over to wash their dog easier.

Overcome the most difficult aspect of washing your dog – getting the dog into the bath! The Booster Bath helps prevent back pain by raising the tub 21 inches and keeps the dog in the tub with a 3 point collar containment system. Weighing only twenty-two pounds, the Booster Bath will hold up to 350 pounds. That sounds like a great idea to me.

With 360 degree access to your dog, a handy place to store shampoo, conditioner and a brush and a fan shaped spray nozzle with an on-off switch that adjusts the water pressure, bath time will become a pleasant bonding experience for you and your dog. Warm water can be used with the optional hose connector kit.
This product looks like it will be having your dog ask for a bath. (Well, that may be going a tad too far to say that).

Click the link below for more information on this awsome pet bath Dog Bath - Paws for Thought Booster Bath Pet Bath Tub

What is your funniest experience you’ve had when washing your dog?

Have you ever wondered why the flag of the United States is referred to as “Old Glory”? This famous name was coined by Captain William Driver, a ship master of Salem, Massachusetts. In 1831 as he was leaving on one of his many voyages aboard the brig ‘Charles Doggett’ to rescue the mutineers of the BOUNTY some friends presented him with a beautiful flag of twenty four stars. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time, he exclaimed “Old Glory!”

He retired to Nashville in 1837, taking his treasured flag from his sea days with him. His grave is located in the old Nashville City Cemetery, and is one of three (3) places authorized by act of Congress where the Flag of the United States may be flown 24 hours a day.

One of the most stirring memories I have of the flag is when I was a volunteer for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and at the opening ceremonies they carried in the flag that had been at the World Trade Center. It was a very somber and patriotic moment.

Do you have a special memory about the flag?

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Do you do things out of habit even if the end result isn’t getting you what you want? I am sure we all do this. My daughter shared with me the following experiences which all occurred to her within the last three weeks.

She has a favorite chain restaurant where she likes to eat. The food is good, the service is tops and it has a fun atmosphere. Things have been happening to cause her to evaluate her decision to keep eating at this restaurant.

The first problem was a long black hair sticking out from the bun of her chicken sandwich. The next week it was a curly black hair in her rice bowl and the third week it was salmon in her cheese in her chicken sandwich.

She starts thinking, “This is not working for me, this is three times in the same restaurant that something has been wrong with my meal”. She either needs to stop going to this particular place, eat at home or eat at a different place.

How many times in our lives do we do the same thing over and over and expect different results while not changing what we are doing?

It is no different with organizing. If you have made up your mind that your drawers and closets are going to be organized and stay that way but you don’t change anything chances are they won’t be organized. Perhaps something as simple as getting rid of the extras that are never used or using a container is all it would take to accomplish your goal.

Time management may be a struggle as you race around in the morning looking for keys, shoes and the children’s backpacks. Adding a hook inside the cupboard for keys, putting shoes back on the shoe rack (buying a shoe rack) every night, having a designated place for the kids to toss or hang their back packs could make all the difference from having a stressful morning to turning it into a peaceful one.

Office organization may mean changing your filing system to a color coded system, alphabetized files or a vertical filing system to get you where you want to be.
If something isn’t working for you, then change it, get others to support you and encourage you in your decision to get what you want with just a few simple adjustments.

What have you changed in your life to get different and better results as you have worked towards an organized life?

Do you have problems with plastic lids in your kitchen? I swear they have taken over the kitchens of America. When you need a particular size for a bowl they are nowhere to be found. You have taken the time to match the bowl with the lid so you think all is great in plastic land, but no it doesn’t end there. Somehow that lid makes itself scarce just when you need it or is always falling out of the cupboard.

I suggest the following action and solution:

•Do match the bowls to the lids, any leftover lids put in a plastic bag and place them where you know where to find them (a shelf, cupboard, drawer) and if there is no bowl needing a lid in two days recycle all of those orphan lids, do not keep them. The reason for keeping them for two days is because there may be a bowl hiding in another room, in the fridge or in the dishwasher.
•If you have more bowls than lids then either recycle the bowl or use it for a cat/dog dish.
•It does not work to keep the lids on the bowl it belongs to—I have never met a kitchen yet that is large enough for that ‘luxury’. And besides what a pain to have to take a lid off every time you want to use a bowl.
•Placing the lid under the bowl it goes to only works in special occasions, and it takes up more space in the cupboard when stacking the bowls—which is what you have to do.
•The Solution: Place the lids in a separate plastic container. They are then easy to reach and are contained and aren’t falling out of the cupboard every time it is opened. Everyone is happy. If you have extra drawer space they can be put in a drawer, even then it is best to have them in containers or they become l jumbled.

What solution have you used for containing your plastic lids in your kitchen?

As a kid did you love to play a game where you would all pile on top of each other and the bottom person would be yelling, “Get off, I can’t breathe”?

Do you ever feel like the paper in your home is making it so you can’t breathe? Paper piles in homes and offices can become a heavy weight if not contained. How to organize an office is easy by following rules to breathe by:

•Do not let junk mail live in your home. Open mail over a trash (recycle) can. Do not entertain it.

•Set up a filing system with tabs on the hanging files for every kind of paper you have to keep. IE: To Read, Bills To Pay, Coupons, Receipts, Auto information, Household tips. I could go on and on but you get the idea, have a place for every piece of paper. You don’t have to file every time you touch a piece of paper. Place it in a basket and once a week file. Yes, it does take some self control but the benefits are marvelous on you and your home.

•Do you like to say, “I am a piler,”? As long as that works for you it is okay. 1) Try a vertical file rather than laying the paper down. You can label the side of the file and it is easier to see and you can organize and separate by topics or need. 2) If you want to have horizontal files place a manila folder on top of a pile (you could cut it and have two from one). Write on the top of the folder saying what the pile is. Or you can buy folders that have tabs so you can slip several piles into one folder. This keeps your desk neat and tidy and you can find what is in your pile when you need it.

What cool trick have you used to tame paper in your home?